The news sucks, plain and simple. Every day we're bombarded with stories about politicians that get nothing accomplished, deadly diseases that are spreading despite our best efforts to contain them, school shootings, murders, natural disasters, and the list goes on. Even after all the bad news is over and done with, the best these programs can do is give us sports reports, traffic and weather - and then what are we left with? Celebrity gossip? Fashion news?
That's why I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report instead. They may poke fun at the day's biggest news stories, but we're still getting the news, just with an added laugh. And frankly, I think that end-of-the-day chuckle is incredibly important. If the list of typical news stories I provided up above is any indication, the average broadcast does nothing but give us depressing, often frightening pieces of information. Is that what we want to think about just before bed? I don't think so.
John Stewart delivers the news with a kind of self-awareness that most anchors and reporters would kill for. He rarely, if ever, pulls any punches during his interviews (his long discussion with Mad Money's Jim Kramer comes to mind), and even if his goal is to be funny, he still does an excellent job informing people. Even though the show isn't shy about it's leftist spin, it's also not a nightly half-hour of Stewart trying to change the world. It's just pointing a finger at what's happening and breaking it down into strange, hilarious little pieces.
Local broadcasts may cover a broader spectrum of topics, but honestly, what do they talk about that you can't read on Google News, in the newspaper, or on your traffic and weather channel? They fill up time by scaring people, and I find that despicable. At least with the Daily Show, regardless of the spin they put on the news, you're not left with the feeling that the world is crashing in on itself. Rather, you're left thinking that maybe the world ought to quit clenching its cheeks and rip one now and then.
Even Stephen Colbert, whose talking points tend to be a little narrower than Stewart's, manages to turn the one-man news program into something as hilarious as it is eye opening. Where the Daily Show is self-aware, Colbert pretends not to be, and as a result manages to point out just how ridiculous people like Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck can be (seriously, when did it become okay to scream at people who disagree with you on the air?).
Does the 'real' news have its place? Absolutely. And if you're into horror movies, maybe that's where you're better off dwelling. But I think the world might be a better place if people were more open to the idea of taking their news with a smile and a grain of salt instead of thinly veiled threats and bad omens.
Are you a fan of the Daily Show and/or the Colbert Report?
Comments (27)
both those shows do absolutely first-class research, too; far better than any of the news networks. they know exactly where the soft spots are, and aren't afraid to poke them.
As a liberally liberal liberal that makes over liberals seem not so liberal, I love both TDS and TCR, but it's sad to see that fake news programs are the only ones with balls and smarts nowadays. :\ (RIP Journalism) Moreover, it does concern me that some people believe Stephen Colbert is being serious in his program. O_O
Nope, don't like them and half the stuff they talk about doesn't concern or effect me at all.
I actually don't know why people call them a "fake" news organization. I mean, they fact check, they report, and they do interviews. Isn't that the bare requirements to be considered news? Just because they crack a few jokes, I don't see why that takes away their credibility. If FOX News can be deemed a "real" news network, then damn it, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report should be categorized as "real" too.
I love both of them. I can watch the "regular" news occasionally when something really important is on but those two make the news effortless and put into a prespective that usually very spot on.
It's like I once said in a poem:
It's a Sad day on earth
When you trust a comedian more with the truth
Than you can trust the newsreels
And I do trust Colbert and all a little more these days. Nothing on the news is new, and hardly ever positive. Everywhere is a school shooting, a murder, racism, celebrity gossip, and all. Makes you wonder if you have to kill a poor guy and call him the word "fag" in order to appear normal to the world.
I like the Daily Show because the compilation of videos speaks for itself and as you said, has great self awareness. The "Rape-Nuts", "CNN Leaves It There", and showing George Bush talking about progress and victory in Iraq backwards in time is very intelligent. He's also really smart on the interviews such as Mike Huckabee and Jim Cramer.
As a reliable news source, I recommend AlJazeera and PBS. Frontline and Bill Moyer do some great reports.
Im a big fan of both but I don't substitute it for real news. Granted, I rarely ever read the newspaper. If I do, I'm just skimming. But to me both programs are just simplified news entertainment. lol.
I like both, but I like the Daily Show more. You almost never get ANYTHING out of Colbert's interviews. He interrupts his guests and goes off into his joke and jabs, which is funny, but sometimes I just want to hear what the fuck the person has to say.
I used to watch CNN (can't stand it anymore) and check into NPR every now and then, but I'm with you Alex, I get most of my news stories from the Daily Show.
I do consider Stewart to have a left spin, but frankly, he pokes fun at everyone. He gives Obama and his bunch crap where they deserve it all the time. One of my more conservative friends once said "Yeah, but he made fun of Bush wayyyy more..." and I agree with that... because there was more to make fun off. Bush was sort of a cartoon character. Obama is funny because he was seen by most people on the left as the second coming and now, not so much.
@coolmonkey@xanga - Haha, well put. FOX News and (to a lesser extent) MSNBC are the biggest shams in news I've ever seen. I don't think you could put anymore spin into an organization than those two have while staying on the air.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - Whoever that person is who thinks Colbert is serious, are they also a big O'Reilly fan? Just a hunch...
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - Hahaha I LOVE when people are being interviewed by Colbert and they take his personality seriously.
I love both dearly, but I do tend to enjoy TDS a bit more.
@mcmeister89 - Actually there was a study (link only has the abstract, not the full text; sorry) about this and yes, conservatives were more likely to believe that Colbert is actually being serious.
I think anyone who doubts Jon Stewart's genius should see his appearance on Crossfire. He was amazing on there.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - Oh... that is sad.
I like both. I don't really like American new outlets. I tend to read the BBC rss feed.
Yessss, I am absolutely a big fan! I've seen both shows live, Colbert twice. Seeing Jon on Crossfire and Colbert "entertaining" the White House was what got me even more hooked than I was before.
CNN fact checks SNL
TDS fact checks CNN
And CNN is the "real" news org...
The actual news (check out rachel maddow sometime) is actually more informative, daytime news is just usually mostly bullshit and filler. There are a few end-of-the-day news shows that are condensed though. But even shows like maddow get sucked into the micheal jackson black hole every now and then.
@coolmonkey@xanga - Here here!
I actually watch TDS and TCR more than the actual news..
- Kunoichi
Those shoes wind up being more concise and more informative than any news channel. I jsut supplement it with news from the net and NPR, so the stuff I get from the net I see Stewart and Colbert talking about.
The world has been crumbling for thousands of years. It'll crumble for thousands more.
@Vacantwhispers@xanga - You're missing out. . .
The problem is people now a days can't seperate REAL news from people being satirical. it's actually very sad.
Although I do love both of them! :D
I plan on seeing Jon Stewart hopefully sometime this year.
I like them both, usually read the 'real' news after watching their shows so I know what really happening..
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - hahaha. One of my favorite parts of watching the Colbert Report is watching people trying to regain composure after he says something completely ridiculous.
Go to the Huffington Post and see what MAJOR news Jon broke about Sean Hannity this week. I'd HARDLY call Jon OR Colbert "fake news" its real reporting delivered in a comical manor.
I mean any show that shares a network with a taking piece of shit, puppets doing crank phone calls and hours of bad stand-up... that can SUCCESSFULLY call out FOX NEWS on THEIR bullshit??
Hardly "fake". That'd be like calling Bill Nye the Science guy or Beakman's World "fake" science just because there are puppets, funny editing and people dressed up in penguin costumes. Just because its delivered in a funny way doesnt make it any less of a factual program.
@HowShouldOneDefineThemselves@xanga - That's fine by me. I tried to get into their stuff, especially Colbert's, but not everything is for everyone.
i love both. the colbert report more. they make politics easier for me to understand.
have you read "i am america (and so can you!)" by stephen colbert? it's a great book haha.